New Year Celebration at Koryosa Temple in Argentina

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New Year Celebration at Koryosa Temple in Argentina

On January 6th, the members of the meditation group at
Koryosa Temple in Argentina, who have been regularly participating in
visitations and donations to a local orphanage, held a New Year celebration.
The New Year celebration consisted of making Kimbap and sharing opinions on new
communal projects for the New Year. Among many requests, there were requests
for lectures on the sutras, morning meditation sessions, and lessons on cooking
temple food and on Korean language. Also, there was an opinion that there
should be a Templestay program and Balwoo Gonyang every month. The abbot also
proposed a project saying “we should stop washing the walkway in front of our
houses with detergents which is a custom of Argentinians and we should also
enlighten our neighbors of the harmful effects to stop them as well,” while
claiming that this is the purpose of Buddhism and practice. “Our habit without
reflection becomes the main cause of water contamination, environmental
pollution and waste of water. Ultimately, such action will destroy ourselves,
therefore we should understand the causality, the cycle of birth and death, and
be always awakened in our lives.”

According to Ven. Ilam, the abbot of Koryosa, Argentinians seem to
consider life and practice as separate since they begin Buddhist practice with
a bit of interest in mysticism. However, they should learn that practicing
Buddhism in one’s life is the true practice. Even though there are many habits
for individuals, and customs and habits built in to our modern day society that
are not right, this seems to be one of the easier habit to be corrected.
Therefore, the meditation group wishes to take it up as a project of practice
in their lives in 2018. Ven. Ilam expressed that watching people wash their
walkway with detergent every day concerned his very much of its effect on the
sentient beings of the earth and the earth itself.

Through the meditation sessions, the group hopes to become wise
followers of the Buddha who also have consideration for the earth.